Google I/O 2026 live — Gemini upgrades, Android XR, and more of what to expect from today's big software showcase

19 May 2026, 15:13 by https://www.techradar.com/uk/author/axel-metz · TechRadar

Google I/O 2026 live — Gemini upgrades, Android XR, and more of what to expect from today's big software showcase

Expect big announcements for Gemini, Search, Android, and more

News By Axel Metz last updated 19 May 2026

(Image credit: © Google / Future)

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How to watch

Is it that time of year again? Google I/O 2026 kicks off today, with the two-day software showcase set to run from May 19 to May 20.

Google tends to reveal its biggest announcements at an introductory keynote, which takes place today at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (or 3am AET tomorrow if you're reading from Australia), and we'll be following along with that event here.

Google already teased a host of Android 17 upgrades during its recent Android Show broadcast, so we're expecting today's announcements to focus on Gemini, Search, and Android XR specifically. Might we finally see some fully-fledged Android XR-powered smart glasses released for sale? It's about time...

We've rounded up the 5 biggest things to expect at Google I/O 2026 elsewhere on TechRadar, but stick with us here for a beat-by-beat breakdown of the event itself.

Written by

Written byAxel Metz

Axel is TechRadar's Phones Editor, responsible for covering the latest developments in mobile hardware and software. He's based in London, but has reported on stories from the US, China, South Korea, and Europe, and you'll find his byline on over 1,500 TechRadar articles.

Google I/O 2026 — how to watch

Google I/O '26 Keynote - YouTube

Watch On

Google's I/O 2026 keynote kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, or 3am AET on May 20, and you can tune into proceedings via the above YouTube link.

If you hit the ‘Notify Me’ button on the full YouTube page, you’ll also get a reminder when the event is about to start, and if you can't tune in live, don't worry — the video will almost certainly remain up, so you can watch it after the fact.

Refresh Get notified of updates 2026-05-19T15:23:13.225Z

Is it Android XR time?

Google I/O 2026 predictions: smart glasses central with XREAL, Gentle Monster & More - YouTube

Watch On

Google has been teasing its Android XR smart glasses for what seems like forever at this point, but might we finally see them unveiled at I/O 2026? We make our predictions in the video above.

2026-05-19T15:15:21.654Z

As a reminder, Google's livestream kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (or 3am AET tomorrow if you're reading from Australia), and you can tune in via the video link above.

I/O keynotes tend to run for between one and two hours, so expect things to be wrapped up by 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST / 5am AET.

(Image credit: Google)

Welcome to our Google I/O 2026 live blog! Stick with us as we predict what to expect from today’s big software showcase, before reporting on the event as it happens.

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